Located in the center of the Susquehanna Valley, in the smallest of Pennsylvania’s counties, Danville is the county seat of Montour County. In the 19th century, the town was a significant iron-making center, and from this early industrial era. Danville has retained public buildings and homes of prominent industrialists, politicians and community leaders.

Among the most noteworthy of these individuals was William Montgomery, who founded and laid out the town in the late 18th century, and his son, Daniel, for whom the town is named. Montgomery established the first wool, saw and grist mill, and later added a distillery. He was also a pioneer in the use of anthracite coal to heat homes in the county.

In 1792, William Montgomery constructed the stone house that stands at the corner of Mill Street and Bloom Road. Montgomery's home is an excellent representation of the Federal style of architecture. An attached frame structure on the east side replaced an earlier log house. Today, the Montgomery House is a museum that displays and celebrates the history of the area.

The advance of the iron era led to Danville's greatest contribution to America's expansion, the manufacture of T-rails. T-rails, used in the railroad industry, were named for their distinctive "T"-shape. In the early 1840’s, T-rails were being imported from England at great cost to railroad builders. In the mid-1800’s, skilled iron finishers from England were brought to Danville to manufacture the nation's first T-rail. The demand for the T-rails grew and significantly contributed to the growth of the railroads and provided employment for over 1,100 people in the community.

By 1853, Danville had three rolling mills producing T-rails, five blast furnaces, and four foundries. However, the iron industry began to decline, starting with the 1873 Depression, and the country's conversion from iron to steel. The mills continued to operate through the turn of the century, with the "Big Mill," ceasing operation at the end of the Great Depression.

The community’s wealth began to show in the architect-designed mansions and commercial structures.  Public and civic buildings sprang up and many stand today in the Danville Historic District. During this period of rapid growth, the town was home to many industrialists, such as Henry Rempe, who invented a self-winding clock in 1901, and J. F. Lavigne, who was an owner of the F.Q. Hartman Silk Mill in the mid-1910’s. He was instrumental in the construction of the recreation center at 201 Mill Street for women employed at his silk mill. Christopher Sholes, an inventor of the typewriter, worked at The Danville News in the late 1800’s, and perfected the QWERTY keyboard. Danville’s cultural background even included an opera house.

Geisinger Medical Center, located in Danville, is the largest rural healthcare facility in the US. Its founder, Abigail Geisinger (1827-1921), was born and raised in Danville. By 1912, she began to tire of townsfolk asking for transportation in her Hupmobile to the hospital in Bloomsburg, and decided to build a community hospital. The formal dedication ceremonies were delayed while the hospital dealt with an outbreak of typhoid fever.  The hospital opened in 1915, caring for 761 patients from 52 Pennsylvania communities, the first year, and by 1920, the facility treated patients from 156 communities.  Geisinger has continued its growth, both in the size of the facility and in the specialties it offers. It is considered one of the top medical centers in the country.

Today, Danville’s commercial center is home to a wide variety of restaurants and specialty shops that attract visitors from around the country.  Custom jewelry, gifts, scuba gear, a shop of miniatures and an art center are among the attractions.  Books, candy, specialty coffee shops, custom embroidery, antiques, and many more shops await visitors.